


The Fair

by Deadlydancer



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: The (Happy) Fair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 22:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18270638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadlydancer/pseuds/Deadlydancer
Summary: The Fair...But everyone is happy :)A fanfic I wrote shortly after the spoilers for 9x15 came out. While this does not directly spoil the events in 9x15, I advise you to watch it before you read. This is short, but I hope you enjoy!





	The Fair

Community banners swayed proudly at The Kingdom, displayed with great pride and joy. A few years ago, it would have been ridiculous to think they could have all of this. But one thing was for sure, they had earned it. Through every setback, the communities came out strong. Today was their day.

 

The bright blue sky complimented the cool temperature as a soft breeze blew through the air. It was the perfect day for The Fair. 

Ezekiel and Carol watched as the gates opened, revealing several carts full of people and supplies. They entered with smiles on their faces, looking around at the bright, colorful decorations. Yellows, reds, blues, purples, every color of the rainbow to celebrate the joyous occasion. 

 

“It’s beautiful,” Carol said to Ezekiel as she nervously waited for her son to arrive. “I wasn’t expecting it to all come together.”

Ezekiel grinned, “My Queen, anything is possible.”

Carol shook her head. Never in a million years did she think they could have all of this. Now she had Ezekiel, Henry, and a beloved community to stick by her. That amount of support wasn’t given freely, it had come at a price.

“Just...Thank you for making it possible,” Carol smiled. “It’s going to be amazing.” 

“It is. Because of  _ you _ . You had faith in our community.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it  _ faith _ ,” Carol countered, “I definitely had my doubts.”

The King laughed. “As did I. But I suppose we did something right, and for that I have faith for the future.”

Carol thought for a second before replying. “Me too.”

 

As tables were being set up, Carol took the time to talk with Nabila, who cradled a baby in her arms. Jerry tended to their young children, each with bright smiles on their faces. 

“Is it true?” The young boy asked with wide eyes.

“Is what true?” Carol grinned back at him. 

Jerry made a guilty face, making eye contact with Carol. “I might of spilled the beans about the projector bulb. Sorry,” he smiled.

“That’s okay, Jerry,” she laughed. “It  _ is _ true, we managed to gather a few movies for later.”

The little kids jumped for joy, smiling from ear to ear.

“Shhh…” Carol gently hushed, “We should keep it a surprise for the others.”

“Okay,” Jerry and Nabila’s kids said in thrilled unison.

“Why don’t you two go play with the other kids. I’ve heard there are some desserts too,” Nabila coaxed. 

Their eyes got even wider. It was too much excitement for one day.

“Absolutely there will be dessert! I even made my famous beet cookies,” Carol gave the children a lighthearted smile. 

“Come on!” The little boy urged his sister. They ran away in pure delight. 

“Save some for everyone else!” Jerry yelled after them. “--And be careful.”

“They didn’t hear you, you know,” Nabila said as the baby woke in her arms.

“This little one did,” Jerry declared, taking the baby from her.

Carol watched the newborn to distract herself from Henry. If it weren’t for Nabila and Jerry, she would be counting down the minutes until he came through the gates.

“Thank you for this,” Nabila told Carol. “You’ve done a lot for this place. Made it feel like home.”

“I try my best to make that possible,” Carol smiled at the baby. “May I hold?”

Jerry passed the swaddled child to Carol. The baby fussed at first, but quickly stopped and stared in a daze.

“It’s okay,” Carol whispered. The baby stuck it’s tongue out in response. Carol repeated the motion back, making the child smile.

“So precious,” Carol returned the baby to Jerry. “I have to catch up with Ezekiel. See you guys later.”

Nabila and Jerry waved goodbye, admiring their baby once again. 

 

“I see the kids have found dessert,” Ezekiel smirked at Carol. She watched as children smeared chocolate and frosting all over their faces.

“You bet. I think more of it is ending up on them than actually in their mouth.”

“Messy is fun, right?” Ezekiel chuckled. 

“I guess so,” Carol sighed.

Catching a hint of her anxiousness, Ezekiel asked, “What’s troubling you on this fine day?”

“Nothing,” Carol assured. “Just excited to see Henry, that’s all.”

“I see,” The King replied, “I’m sure he’ll be here before you know it.”

 

Xxxxxxxx

 

“Alexandria’s here!” a Kingdomer shouted from the watchtower.

“Alexandria?” Carol questioned. “I thought they weren’t coming.”

“Perhaps they changed their mind,” Ezekiel said with a grin.

“Well, I’m not complaining. The more the merrier!” Carol said happily.

She made her way over to the cart, which was packed full. Anything that a community could spare was helpful but Alexandria had overly impressed.

“I see you changed your mind. I’m glad,” Carol announced.

“We did. Michonne still isn’t too fond of the idea, but the council put it to a re-vote,” Siddiq responded. 

“It’s good to see you again,” Carol greeted Rosita, Eugene, Gabriel, DJ, and a few other Alexandrians. “Come on and get settled. We have plenty to do.”

 

xxxxxxxx

 

Michonne was hesitant about making this trip. All she wanted to do was protect her people and the community that depended on her. She didn’t have anything against The Kingdom, it was just dangerous getting there. Leave it to Judith, who convinced her of the journey. Michonne couldn’t tell her daughter  _ no _ this time, because deep down she knew it was the right thing to do. 

 

As the gates opened, Michonne found herself greeted with many eyes and confused expressions. She hoped she made the right decision. Safety wasn’t something to take lightly.

“And the surprises keep coming!” Carol beamed. She saw Henry as he jumped out of the cart, waving Ezekiel over. The three of them shared a hug.

“It’s so good to see you,” Carol mumbled to Henry. “I missed you so much!”

“Missed you, mom. You too, dad,” Henry replied.

“Getting into trouble?” Ezekiel asked. “Hilltop has a few teenagers I hear.”

“Ehh, you know,” Henry begun, “Just typical stupid teenage stuff, I guess.”

Carol laughed, “I hope you didn’t give Daryl too much trouble.”

Henry gave a nervous laugh. “I’ll tell you later.”

Carol gave Henry the  _ What’s that supposed to mean _ face. She was then interrupted by a girl, close to Henry’s age, standing off to the side and listening in.

“Mom, Dad, this is Lydia,” Henry spoke excitedly. “She’s my girlfriend.”

The King and Queen exchanged looks. It was hard for Henry to know if they were happy, mad, or somewhere in between.

“Henry, that’s great!” Carol said out of the silence. “It’s nice to meet you, Lydia,” she held out her hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Lydia stumbled, glancing at Henry for reassurance. “Henry has told me all about you. All good things— I swear.” 

“That’s a relief,” Ezekiel replied. 

“See-- I told you that you would make friends at The Hilltop,” Carol grinned.

“Well, um...yeah,” Henry mumbled, avoiding telling his parents that she wasn’t exactly a “friend” to The Hilltop. He figured he would leave that minor detail for later.

“We’re going to go now,” Henry said taking Lydia’s hand. “Bye.”

Carol nodded. “She’s sweet. I like her,” she whispered to Ezekiel. 

“So do I,” he added. 

 

Xxxxxxxxxxx

 

“I would like to thank you all for supporting The Kingdom and our first fair.” The King announced proudly. He stood on the balcony where all could see. 

“I understand it was hard getting here. We’ve lost many, and fought many more. But we’ve survived, and it is  _ our _ time to rebuild society--For now and for the future generations to come. I used to think this world was too far gone… I never thought we would reach this point. I hope this fair will be a way to connect and grow our communities. To support each other—and all that we stand for. Thank you again for joining us, may this time be of great pleasure.”

 

Applause and cheers filled the crowd as people began to disperse. Smiles curved on everyone's face as they reunited with friends. The sound of laughter and children playing was a delight to Carol’s ears. Maybe Ezekiel was right. She  _ did _ have faith in this community and the future. 

 

Xxxxxxxx

 

“What’s up?” Tara greeted Rosita. It had been a long time since they were able to talk. Tara was busy leading Hilltop and Rosita had her own responsibilities at Alexandria.

“...Not much…,” Rosita tried to hide her smile but ultimately failed. Her friend could always sense excitement, so it was hard to lie.

“No—that’s a smile,” Tara stated cheerfully.

Rosita hesitated to say something. She couldn’t say it wasn’t a big deal—because it was. It was a  _ very _ big deal actually.

“Tell me,” She demanded, hating the suspicion.

“I still haven’t told a lot of people. I was waiting until I couldn’t hide it any longer.”

“Wait...are you saying,” Tara’s smile grew even wider.

“I’m—pregnant…” Rosita said lightly. She never expected those words to come out of her mouth. 

Tara clasped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming in excitement. She then gave Rosita a huge hug to show her emotion.

“That’s amazing! How long have you known?” Tara questioned.

“Just a few weeks. But you can’t go around telling people. Just incase...you know.”

“Don’t say that,” Tara assured. “Everything will be perfectly fine.”

“I hope so,” she gave a smile to lighten the mood. “Now shhh.”

Tara laughed and threw her hands up like she was being accused, “I know, I know.”

 

Xxxxxxxxxxx

 

“You’re it!” Alden told a child as they played a game of tag. 

The group of children ran away, screaming in thrill to hide. 

“Too bad,” the little boy announced as he tapped Alden on the arm. “You’re it again!” 

“What? That’s not fair!” he replied teasingly. “I was just it!”

Enid smiled as she saw him arguing with the child, who was only around four in age. 

“I swear, I’m getting too old for this,” Alden said playfully. 

“Well don’t just stand there and let him get away!” Enid talked back. “You’re terrible at this game.”

“I don’t see you playing,” he bantered. Enid stood off to the side, organizing a table with Nabila. 

“I’m working...like an adult.”

Alden rolled his eyes with a grin. “Whatever.”

He then chased after the children at a slow pace, giving them enough time to run away. 

 

“He would make a great father,” Nabila told Enid. “He’s great with children.”

“Yeah, he is,” Enid smiled. 

It was true that she’d always wanted a family of her own, there was no denying it. Knowing that she now had the right guy, maybe it would be a possibility. In the future, of course. Not now. 

 

“I finally got away,” Alden said out of breath and running up to Enid.

“You got away from the  _ five _ year olds?” She teased. 

“They’re fast...and full of energy.”

Enid nodded her head slowly. “They are  _ definitely _ full of energy.”

A little girl, about five, poked Alden and screamed, “You’re it again!”

“I wasn’t even playing,” he held his hands up in defense. 

“You are now,” Enid laughed. The little girl turned to smile real big at her, as if she agreed.

Catching his breath, Alden took Enid’s hand. “You’re coming too. I’ll show you just how tiring they can be.”

“I already know,” Enid stated. “I think I’ll stay back and help set up.”

The little girl took Enid’s hand. “Please?” She begged, batting her eyelashes. 

She tried to resist the little girl, but who could?

“Alright,” she smiled. “Just for a few minutes.”

The little girl jumped up and down. “Come on, he’s it!” She chanted.

“Just a second,” Alden said, taking his time to give Enid a kiss.

“Eww!” The five year old yelled. “That’s gross.”

“No,  _ you’re _ gross,” He scolded childishly.

Enid scoffed, “Alden, you are arguing with a five year old.”

The young girl stuck her tongue out at him, telling Alden that he had lost the argument. 

 

Xxxxxxxx

 

After a long day of being outside, the gang finally retreated indoors. Dinner and dessert were served, as if the kids didn’t already eat enough sugar. 

 

“Just one more, Mom? Please,” Judith gave Michonne the big puppy dog eyes. They argued over the amount of sweets she’d already eaten. In Judith’s mind, three cookies and two cupcakes were  _ far _ too little dessert for an occasion like this. 

“There’s still a lot left over. It will go to waste if we don’t eat it,” Judith argued. She did have a point, but she was already extremely hyper to begin with. 

“I don’t know, Judith. You’ll get a stomach ache,” Michonne told her.

“No I won’t. I promise.”

“You might not now, but you will later.”

“Please,” Judith tried one more time with the pouty lip.

Michonne sighed. “Fine  _ one _ more.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Judith wrapped her arms around her mother. Grabbing another cupcake to even out her desserts. 

 

“How much sugar has she had today?” Daryl asked as he watched the energetic child.

Michonne rolled her eyes. “ _ Way _ too much.”

“She’s a kid. What’d you expect?

“I’m just hoping she crashes soon. It’ll make for a peaceful ride back,” Michonne laughed. 

“Yeah—it will,” Daryl said as he watched her run with the kids her age.

Michonne smiled at the sight. “I’m happy she has friends here. She’s been hanging out with too many adults lately. Growing up too fast.”

Daryl huffed, “Seems like yesterday she was born.”

Michonne nodded. “It does. I wish she could stay this young forever.”

“Teenage years are comin’,” Daryl stated. “Think she’s stubborn now?”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” Michonne groaned. “Judith is just like her father.”

“Yeah. I say we keep ‘er,” he joked.

Smiling, Michonne replied, “I say we do too.”

 

Xxxxxxxxx

 

The movie talk spread like wildfire. Pure joy was written on the faces of all ages. The little kids had not yet experienced a movie. They questioned the idea often, but today they were ecstatic.

 

“Gather around,” Carol announced as people piled in. She tried to hide the excitement herself.

 

Judith sat with her mom and Daryl, attempting to hide that she did in fact have a stomach ache from all the dessert. Despite the ache, she couldn’t help but be over the top excited about the movie. She’d never seen one before, obviously. Nor did she think she ever would. Fidgeting anxiously, she looked at the family around her. 

Rosita, Siddiq, Eugene, Gabriel, and Tara sat together, talking and teasing playfully. Rosita rested a hand on her growing baby bump and Tara smiled. Tara knew she would be there for Rosita and the baby no matter what. Nothing could change that.

Alden and Enid sat close to the screen, surrounded by their “five year old” friends. Anyone could tell that the day had tired all of them out. Alden and Enid continued to kiss over and over to hear the “Eww!” reactions from the young children. Everytime they would squeal louder and louder, making Enid and Alden laugh.

Ezekiel and Carol sat directly behind Henry and Lydia, watching as they interacted. Hands grasped with Lydia resting her head on Henry’s shoulder, Carol smiled. Everyone looked so happy...so excited. For a moment, it didn’t feel like the end of the world. It just seemed like life. No threats, no chaos, just family. The Fair had done that for them.  

 

Turning their attention to the screen, everyone watched silently. Intrigued as the opening credits began...

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> By the way...the movie is Mary Poppins!


End file.
